As I lay dying
by BoldBlondeandBeautiful
Summary: AU. Full summary inside. Rated for language.
1. A secret

**Disclaimer- I obviously own TVD, because I'm LJ Smith. That's why I'm writing a fanfic xDDD. **

**Summary- An AU to "As I lay dying." obv. Instead of Stefan going to find the cure, Caroline goes and Stefan stays with Damon. Brotherly love, not slash/incest. OOC is likely.**

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><p>Stefan sighed softly as he looked around at the group of people assembled in the cemetery. His eyebrows knitted together when he realized his brother was no longer standing with them. He quickly looked around, and noticed Damon leaning against a fence several yards away.<p>

He walked over.

"Damon?" He said softly, noticing that his brother's icy blue eyes were closed and he looked exhausted.

A shuddering sigh escaped him. "It's my fault, Stef. Everything." He opened his eyes, and Stefan was startled to see deep sadness and regret in them. "I just... I screwed everything up." A tear rolled down his cheek.

Stefan stepped closer to him, frowning. "Damon, it isn't your fault. And anyway, even if it was, there's time to try and make it up to everyone." He spoke in a soothing whisper.

Damon shook his head. "There _isn't _time, Stef. That's the thing. I don't have the time." He put his hand over his eyes. Stefan stiffened.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was barely audible. Fear pounded in every corner of his consciousness.

And Damon just sighed.

So Stefan grabbed his arm, pulling it away so he could look into his brother's eyes.

Damon's reaction was unexpected, to say the least.

He hissed in pain and shook his head violently. "_Let go!_" He croaked. His breath sped up. Stefan immediately released his arm and stared at him in astonishment.

"Damon...?" He blinked as his brother sank down against the fence, sitting on the ground with his knees pulled up against his chest. Stefan took a deep breath and sat next to him, grabbing his arm again, but this time being careful not to touch the area near his elbow.

"Stef, just leave it." Damon whispered faintly.

Stefan shook his head. "Damon, I know something's wrong. What happened?" He looked his brother in the eye. Damon shook his head. "Damon... Please tell me. Please." He couldn't say this plea any louder than a faint whisper.

Damon shuddered. "I'll tell you later. I'm going home." He whispered. He stood, but swayed slightly on his feet. Stefan's eyes widened and he shot up to steady his brother. Damon shook his head. "Nothing." He said softly.

And then he walked off.

Stefan took a deep breath, and walked back to the others. He stood next to Elena and hugged her. "I'm going home, okay? I'll see you later." He whispered in her ear.

* * *

><p>Stefan stormed into the boarding house. "Damon! I know you're here. You owe me an explanation." He shouted. He turned into the living room. Damon lay sprawled on the couch, and turned his head to look at his little brother.<p>

"I was sleeping." He mutters. "You woke me up." Then he flinched as pain shot through him, radiating from his left arm. He let his eyes slip closed.

Stefan glared at him, and then was at his side in a flash. "I could care less if I woke you up! You owe me an explanation!" He shouts.

Damon cringes. "Stop yelling." He whispers weakly. He puts his hand over his eyes as the room starts spinning.

Stefan's glare turns into a concerned look, and he sits next to his brother. "Damon... Please. Tell me what's wrong." He murmurs. Damon starts shivering, though the heat in the room is almost stifling. Stefan bites his lip. "Please, Damon." He says gently.

Damon nods, and manages to sit up. He takes a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it... It'll be easier if I just show you..." He whispers faintly. His hand shakes as he reaches for his sleeve. Stefan grabs his hand, -as gently as possible- and then pulls up his sleeve for him.

And then he just stares.

His eyes flick up from the large red-purple mark on his brother's arm to the icy blue eyes he knows so well... now glimmering with fear and pain.

"No... No, Damon." He whispers numbly. Damon closes his eyes and nods.

Stefan chokes and pulls his brother into a hug. Damon's head rests against his chest, already hot with the fever. Stefan strokes his hair gently, sobbing. It takes him a while to realize that he isn't the only one crying. He is struck with a stabbing protectiveness... A need to reassure his dying brother. "Damon, w-we'll figure something out. A cure. Something..." He tightens his grip on Damon's shivering body, pulling him closer... Afraid to let go.

Damon shakes his head weakly... He can't figure out why he's so weak already, but guesses it must have something to do with the overpowering exhaustion threatening to drag him under. "There is no cure, Stefan." He mumbles.

"There has to be."

The steel in his younger brother's voice makes Damon frown. "There _isn't_, Stef." He whispers. He can feel Stefan shake his head.

"You'll be okay, Damon. I'll make sure of it. Please believe me." He replies.

Damon sighs and pulls away from his brother. "Just don't try, Stef. Better to accept the truth now." He says coldly.

And then the pain starts again. He stamps it down, and then takes a shuddery breath. "I'm tired." He whispers. He gets up and starts to walk to his room, but has to stop at the bottom of the stairs, gasping for air as the pain becomes unbearable. Stefan rushes to him, holding him close.

Tears trickle down his cheeks as his brother trembles in his arms. "Shh, Damon. I'm here." He whispers gently. He picks his brother up and carries him to his room.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Review!<strong>


	2. A deep sleep

**HEY EVERYONE. ARE YOU FREAKING OUT? I'm writing this as I wait (and wait, and wait, AND WAIT...) for the new episode! Dang. Well, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint y'all.  
><strong>

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><p>Damon wakes in near-darkness. He shifts painfully, looking around and finding himself alone.<p>

He cringes and hisses in pain, agony radiating from the inside of his elbow. He shuts his eyes again, riding it out.

Or at least trying to.

"Damn it... Owwww..." he moans."_Fuck_ that hurts." his breath speeds up. "Stef, if you can hear me, please please _please_ get up here, I need you." he sobs softly and starts sinking into unconsciousness, clutching his injured arm.

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><p>Stefan pauses outside the front door, collecting himself. 'Duh, that's why I've been walking for an hour, now isn't it?' He sighs and rubs his eyes, and then walks in.<p>

"...here, I need you." he hears the weak croak, stiffening in shock. It's followed by a soft sob that sends him into action, rushing up the stairs and to his brother's room.

"Oh god, Damon..." he whispers from the doorway, taking in the scene in front of him. And then another sob makes him hurry the few steps to his brother's bed, where he carefully sits and gathers Damon's weak body into his arms. "Easy, I'm here. You can rest now, Damon..." He murmurs gently, rubbing his brother's shoulder.

Unfortunately, his presence prompts his brother into wakefulness. "Can't..." Damon croaks. "Hurts too much..." His icy blue eyes glance up at his brother beseechingly.

Stefan sees the look, and nods hurriedly. "Okay. You don't have to sleep right now. Is there anything I can do for you?" The words slip out in a rush that makes Damon blink, slightly stunned.

And then he chuckles humorlessly. "Stake through the heart would be good." He whispers painfully. Stefan gives him a shocked look.

"What?" The younger brother's green eyes give the appearance of possibly rolling out of his skull at any second. "Damn it Damon, don't talk like that!" He snaps. "I told you, I'm going to find some way to get you out of this." His shock has turned into rage, it would seem.

Damon sighs. "Fine. Be a sadist and let me suffer. But stop being so loud about it, okay?" His voice trails off to nothing. His eyes drift shut...

...but then pop back open as pain rips through him again. He cries out and grips Stefan's wrist so hard it seems as if he might break it. "Make it stop! Makeitstop makeitstop ohgodpleasemakeitSTOP!" He cries in agony.

"Oh god." Stefan whispers softly. He pulls his brother closer, enveloping his shaking form protectively. He does his best to sooth him, but the pain fit drags on for about five minutes.

It seems an eternity.

As soon as the convulsions cease, Stefan breathes a sigh of relief and kisses the top of his brother's head gently. He grabs the heavy duvet and tugs it up around Damon's shoulders. And then he starts to slowly shift out from under his brother.

"Where you goin'?" Damon croaks. Stefan almost jumps, thinking his brother had managed to get to sleep.

And then he sighs, his 'brooding forehead' prominent on his face as he reaches out and pushes the hair back from his brother's face. "Well, down to the basement, first off. You need blood." He shrugs slightly. "And then if I think of anything else on the way back that you might need..." He shrugs again, trying to hide just how much his heart aches.

"Oh. Okay." Damon murmurs back. Stefan nods, and then speeds out. He returns seconds later with a blood bag and an extra blanket. The latter is immediately draped over Damon, and the former set down for a moment while he leaves again and returns with a cool, wet cloth.

He sits again, placing the cloth on Damon's feverish brow. Damon sighs softly and closes his eyes.

"...Damon... what happened?" Stefan asks hesitantly.

Damon grimaces. "Damn..." He takes a deep breath, -bad idea, he starts coughing and it takes him a couple seconds to get any air- and then starts to explain. "The night of the sacrifice... I was trying to postpone it." He looks at his brother sheepishly. "It might have been a little belated, but I realized how wrong it was to give Elena my blood... and well, I was trying to fix it." He retreats slightly into the blankets, shivering. "They had captured Caroline and Tyler to use in the sacrifice. I only intended to get Caroline out... I knew that traveling with a werewolf on the full moon was a bad idea." He takes a shuddering breath. "I knew... but I unchained Tyler too. And then... He ended up trying to attack Caroline and Matt -did I tell you Matt was there?- and... I got in the way." His soft whisper stops, leaving the room silent.

Never had a silence between the brothers been louder.

After a moment, Stefan stands. "What are you doing?" Damon asks faintly.

"Tyler is dead meat. I'm going to throw him off a cliff." Stefan grinds out, trembling in rage. Damon shakes his head and reaches for his brother's arm.

"Don't." He mumbles. Stefan looks at him questioningly. "I honestly don't have a problem with you killing him, but..." He stops, coughing slightly. "J-just don't leave." His eyes are full of fear and desperation.

Stefan understands in a flash. _He's scared. He doesn't believe I can fix this... he thinks he's going to die. _And then another realization. _I can't leave him. Not now._

He sits back down, holding his brother close...

And Damon finally falls asleep.

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><p><strong>Brotherly fluff! Okay, so... I was thinking more fluff, and Stefan revealing the situation to Ric, Caroline, and Elena. Thoughts?<strong>


	3. A promise

Stefan waits impatiently for the phone to be picked up.

"What do you want, Stefan?" Bonnie asks crossly.

Stefan takes a deep breath. "I need your help." He whispers.

There's a pause. "What's wrong?"

He almost breaks down. "It's Damon. He's dying. _I need your help._"

The pause stretches on for so long this time that he fears she won't answer... won't help.

"Meet me at the witch house." She says coldly, hanging up.

Stefan takes a deep breath, and then blurs up to his brother's room to check on him. He sighs in relief upon seeing that his brother still sleeps peacefully. He goes back to the living room. _Okay, I can't leave him alone... damn, who to call? _It only took a moment.

"Hello?" Comes Ric's breathy voice through the reciever.

"Ric I need your help." Stefan says quietly.

Ric barks a laugh. "I'm not allowed to help, remember? I have to just stand there while my girlfriend gets sacrificed. I'm done helping. I honestly don't ca-"

"Shut up for a second!" Stefan interrupts angrily. "Fine, be bitter that nobody wanted you getting yourself killed in the sarifice! Stay there and drink yourself into a coma! But I think you should know that your best friend is dying!"

There's a silence, while Stefan tries to hold back tears and Ric processes this information.

"What?" He finally whispers, sounding horrified.

Stefan takes a shaky breath. "Werewolf bite. I'm trying to figure out a way to save him. But I can't leave him alone... he's in a lot of pain." He whispers faintly.

"I'll be right over." Ric states. And then the line goes dead.

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><p>Ric slowly walks into the boarding house, immediately noticing the uncomfortable silence shrouding it. "Anybody here?" He calls out.<p>

"Upstairs." He hears Stefan answer. He cautiously accends the staircase, making his way to Damon's room.

The first thing he feels when he opens the door is shock.

Anybody who knew Damon would have been shocked. Damon was not one to act helpless. So the fact that he was lying in bed shivering and having trouble breathing spelled trouble.

Stefan looked over at Ric from where he sat next to Damon, gently holding his brother up and murmuring comforting nonsense. He takes a deep breath. "Damon? I'm only gonna be gone for a little while, okay? I'll be back soon." He whispers gently, looking down at his brother. Damon nods weakly. Stefan gets up, and then turns to Ric. "I should be back in about an hour. You'll be okay staying with him?"

Ric nods. "Yeah." He says shortly. Stefan hesitates and then speeds away. The front door is distantly heard.

Ric turns to Damon.

"Hey man. You look like hell." He says faintly. Damon chuckles weakly.

"I feel worse." He croaks. He tries to chuckle again but coughs painfully instead.

Ric's eyebrows knit together as he sits in the chair by Damon's bedside. "Maybe you should just relax." He advises gently. Damon nods slightly and closes his eyes. He tries... but fails as a wave of agony rushes over him. He hisses in pain, his head tosses. The pain only lasts for a moment, but leaves him breathless. Ric reaches out and puts a hand on his friend's shoulder "You need me to get you anything?" He asks gently.

Damon takes a deep, shuddery breath. "Just kill me. End it quick." He croaks. Ric shakes his head sadly.

"No can do, buddy." He says quietly.

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><p><strong>We all know what Stefan was up to with Bonnie. I don't wanna write it.<strong>

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><p>Stefan knocks on the door to Jenna's place. Elena opens the door. She smiles slightly, and Stefan tries -really he does- to smile back, despite the heartache that's been plaguing him since he returned home yesterday... since he found out the truth. "Elena... I have to tell you something." He mumbles.<p>

"What?" She asks faintly, leading him to the couch.

They both sit down. "It's about Damon..." Stefan says hesitantly.

She shakes her head. "Stefan, I don't want to hear about Damon. I'm still mad at him. I think he should just steer clear of me." She snaps furiously. Stefan's eye go cold.

"I don't think that'll be a problem." He whispers. The ice in his eyes cracks and they fill up with tears.

Elena frowns. "Stefan? What's wrong?" She asks confusedly.

"Damon's dying, Elena." Stefan murmurs. "He's dying, and I have to go talk to Klaus... The witches think he knows something about a cure."

At the news, Elena stiffens in shock. "But... He can't be dying... What do you mean a cure?" She whispers.

"Werewolf bite." Stefan replies, deadpan. Elena flinches, remembering Rose's agonizing death. "I have to go back home, I need to tell him what's going on." Stefan mutters.

And then he's gone.

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><p>"Stefan!" Caroline calls. She blurs over to him. "Bonnie called me! Please tell me it's not true!" She whispers brokenly. Stefan just nods, tears glittering in his eyes. "Oh god! This is my fault! He was trying to protect me!" Caroline mumbles. She puts her head in her hands. She looks up at Stefan. "I'll go talk to Klaus instead of you. I think he'd rather you stay." She chokes out.<p>

Stefan shakes his head. "No. Y-"

"I'M GOING!" Caroline interrupts loudly. "I'm going because this is my fault and I think he'd prefer you being there taking care of him than me running around town being useless." She whispers. "So I'm going."

Stefan tries to object, but her arguments have struck home for him. _He's the only family I have left, so I'd do anything to help him... but what if that means I have to stay home and do nothing? _He knew the answer already. "Okay." He whispers. She nods and they both make their way inside the house.

They reach the door, and Caroline hesitates while Stefan just walks in. His eyes immediately go to his brother's face, lined with pain. And then he glances at Ric, who nods and leaves. Stefan sits next to his brother's bed, placing a hand on his burning forehead. "Hey... How are you feeling, big brother?" He asks gently. "Any better?"  
>Damon sighs softly and shakes his head. "No... Not good, Stef. It hurts... So much..." His eyes drift shut, and Stefan notices how ashen his brother's skin is. Tears well up in the younger vampire's eyes.<p>

"I might've found something." He says slowly. "I talked to Bonnie, and she connected with the witches..." He seems very hesitant to proceed, so Caroline walks in.

"Well, to address the elephant in the room, what he found involves Klaus. Someone will need to talk to him." She takes a deep breath. "I think I should go." She finishes, chin tilted up slightly.

Damon shakes his head, looking upset. "No... I don't think anyone should go. Nobody needs to risk themselves for me..." He starts coughing, reaching for his brother's arm and then almost crushing it in his grip as the pain makes him desperate. And then the coughing stops and he relaxes.

Tears well up in Caroline's eyes as she and Stefan exchange glances. "Damon," Stefan starts gently, "Are you alright?" A pained humming noise escapes him, but he's unable to speak. Stefan winces. "Sorry, stupid question." He whispers.

"That's why I have to go talk to Klaus. It's my fault you're hurting, so I have to fix this." The blonde says softly. She rolls her eyes. "And if I don't go, Stefan will." She says with a shrug. And then she steps closer so she's standing over him. She bends down and kisses his forehead. "I'll manage this if it kills me." She promises firmly.

And then she blurs out, leaving Stefan sitting and holding his brother, who'd be angry if he wasn't so exhausted.

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><p><strong>I THINK THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER YET!<strong>


	4. A meeting

**I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE. I'M ONLY ALLOWED ON THE INTERNET ON WEEKENDS AND I'VE BEEN SICK FOR TWO WEEKS NOW AND I CAN'T BREATHE AND MY FRIENDS ARE SUCKING ME INTO THEIR DRAMA THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH AND I HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING WELL AND THE URGING TO UPDATE IMMEDIATELY WHEN I HAVE NO TIME IS GIVING ME A HEADACHE SO QUIT IT! **

**Ignore my bitchiness, life sucks right now. **

**Oh, btw, Abbyli, thanks for the inspiring pm. -hands you a plate of virtual cookies- I think I'm going to follow many of the events of the actual episode, however, so... xP Thanks for suggesting the Caroline PoV though, I was debating it. **

**OH! And those of you who have not heard of BroodyandCheery323, her fanfiction and youtube videos inspire me like nothing else, you really should check it out... in fact, I'm watching her videos while I attempt to write this... hehehe xP... (If you happen to be reading this, dear, oh my god thank you for existing. I'm currently sobbing over "Is this the moment..." :']...) **

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><p>Caroline pauses outside of the boarding house, breathing shallow as she tries to bottle up her feelings. <em>Oh my god... Why... Why for me? <em>She thinks desperately.

Ruefully, she admits to herself that seeing Damon like that was the biggest shock she's ever experienced. He'd always seemed strong to her. Strong, arrogant, selfish, prideful, stubborn. Those were good words to describe Damon Salvatore. Safe words. Words you could count on to be true.

Until now. Now the words that came to mind... Ill, broken, tired, helpless, frightened. Had anyone told her mere days ago that she would soon be thinking of Damon as any of that, she would've laughed in their face. Had anyone told her that he would go through extreme pain to save _her _of all people... She probably would've given them a lengthy speech about why Damon was an asshole who didn't give a flying fuck about anyone but himself, least of all her.

But now...

Her hands shook as she headed down the steps, not being able to shake the sight of _Damon _unnaturally still and quiet, except for the painful rattle in his chest as he struggled to breathe. She flinched as the sound echoed in her ears.

Shaking her head, she climbed into her car and gunned the engine.

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><p>"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worried." Damon states sarcastically. "But I mean, come on, this is you we're talking about. Mr. Fun. Right?" There's a teasing glint in his eye though his voice is painfully weak and raspy. He's leaning propped against the headboard while Stefan sits in the chair next to the bed. The latter shakes his head and gives the older brother a disapproving look. "Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood." Damon croaks with a smirk.<p>

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Yeah, because this situation definitely calls for cheeriness. Right. Have you completely lost your mind?" As soon as the last sentence slips out, his eyes widen slightly and he flinches guiltily.

A weak chuckle. "Not yet, I don't think. Although, I don't think I've ever claimed to be completely sane anyway." His face falls, and he shifts slightly. "When it does happen though-"

"If." Stefan cuts him off, tone stern. "That's _if _Caroline doesn't find something before that happens. And I know what you're going to say. I'm not going to hurt you, even to protect everyone else. If all else fails, we can put you in the basement. But I can't..." His voice trails off. He looks at his brother helplessly.

Damon raises his eyebrows. "Hmm. What brought on this change in opinion? You've been perfectly willing to put me out of everyone else's misery in the not-too-distant past."

A sigh. Stefan rubs the back of his neck. "That was then. When... when you were some monster I could try to distance myself from. Now..." He shakes his head, frowning. "Damon... we've gotten closer again. And besides... I can't hurt you when you're already sick and in pain. I can't do that to you." His voice breaks.

Damon shifts again, looking sad but resigned. "Stef..." He tries to move closer, but immediately realises that even the amount of energy required for _that _much activity is quickly becoming inaccessable. He settles for reaching out and squeezing a thin arm reassuringly. Stefan looks up, eyes full of tears. Damon flinches, and then quickly assumes an aggravated expression. "Well, no need to act like I'm already dead... Well, I am, technically... Ugh, you know what I mean." A splitting headache has suddenly taken up residence behind his eyes. He lifts his free hand up to his temple, grimacing.

"You alright?" Stefan asks quickly. Damon gives him a disparaging look, and Stefan can almost hear the words behind it; _Yeah, just peachy, dumbass. Ya know, despite the whole "Dying a slow and painful death" thing. _"Sorry." He mutters guiltily. "What's wrong with your head?"

Damon sighs huffily. "What kind of question is that?" He grates out with a glare.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "I didn't mean it that way. Quit fooling around."

As quickly as the headache started, it stops. Damon relaxes, closing his eyes. "Nothing. It just... Hurt a little bit." He whispers. Stefan frowns concernedly, but Damon's too out of it to care even if he could see it. "M'tired..." He mumbles.

Stefan sighs, and -for what must be at least the third time that day- helps his brother lay down, and then listens silently as his breathing evens.

* * *

><p>Caroline walks slowly into the apartment. She looks around nervously, hoping that Klaus won't manage to catch her by surprise.<p>

To her intense shame, Katherine does just that.

The blonde thrashes against the hold on her throat, glaring daggers at the woman who snapped her neck. "Shh..." The doppleganger scolds. The door opens, and she stiffens. "Klaus." She calls out by way of greeting. "You appear to have a visitor."

And Caroline is pushed in the path of one very smug hybrid.

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><p><strong>CLIFFY! HEHEHE. <strong>

**Review. G'head, tell me how evil I am. **


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